SoundVision.com - racismhttps://www.soundvision.com/tags/racism
enHow to record hate crimes on your phone https://www.soundvision.com/article/how-to-record-hate-crimes-on-your-phone
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<a href="/article/how-to-record-hate-crimes-on-your-phone"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.soundvision.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/HowToRecordHate1.jpg?itok=VUOPdF7q" width="576" height="324" alt="" /></a> </div>
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<a href="/authors/samana-siddiqui" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Samana Siddiqui</a> </div>
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<p>When Fatima Salman drove out of her subdivision in suburban Detroit one morning in early October to drop her son off to school, it seemed like any other day. It wouldn’t turn out that way.</p>
<p>“A guy was behind me and got annoyed that I pulled out in front of him,” recalled the Executive Director of the Muslim Students’ Association (National). “I was plenty ahead of him and didn't cut him off at all,” she added, but noted that he was driving fast for that road.</p>
<p>“He pulled up closer to me right when I got on the main road and started honking like crazy. When he got closer to my car he noticed my head covering which prompted him to get even more mad. He was screaming, giving me the finger, honking his horn, and in crazy rage.</p>
<p>“We stopped at the red light, cars in front of us, behind us, next to us and he put his window down and started screaming at me again and giving me the finger. He then pretended his hand was a gun and started shooting at me with his hand, all the while screaming and shouting. I didn't look at him,. I just silently looked ahead.”</p>
<p>Hoping to lose him, Salman got off the road and turned into a nearby school’s parking lot. To her horror, the angry driver pulled into the same lot from the other side. In a panic, she called 9/11.</p>
<p>The operator instructed her to drive to the nearest police station at the other side of the street. Officers found her immediately and took down details of the incident. The raging man and his blue pickup truck were nowhere to be found at that point.</p>
<p>Among the suggestions law enforcement gave Salman was to call 911 immediately when in danger and to try to get the license plate number of the perpetrator in future. A third piece of advice was that it’s “not a bad idea to record while the incident is happening” and to “invest in a dash cam”. A dashcam or dashboard camera continuously records the view through a vehicle's windshield. Dashcams may provide video evidence in the event of an accident or an incident.</p>
<p>Recording occurrences of hate, racism, and discrimination is not common, but it can strengthen a legal case by offering solid proof of wrongdoing.</p>
<p>“I can't recall a hate crime case that I either personally prosecuted or saw prosecuted that hinged exclusively on video evidence. That said, video evidence is always strong evidence if it is available,” said Omer Jaleel, a former prosecutor and Assistant State's Attorney in Cook County, IL, who is now in private practice.</p>
<p>Remember, safety is absolutely critical when recording an incident. It is advised not to record&nbsp;if there is any possibility of danger to the victim or those with them.</p>
<p>It’s something “Sameer” (who asked that his real name not be used) advised as well after recording an incident of anti-Muslim hate in Plainfield, Illinois in late October.</p>
<p>While driving, a man in a red pickup truck started yelling at him. As the two drove up to a stop light, he called Sameer a range of hateful epithets and comments ranging from “sand ni$%er” to threatening, “Gonna cut all your heads off like you did to the Americans!”. Upon seeing Sameer’s daughter’s carseat in the back, the man pointed to it saying, “little n&amp;^%$r”.</p>
<p>“If you are alone, I would suggest not recording the incident at all,” said Sameer. The reason is because it is dangerous to be distracted and not having your eyes on road while driving . “I would recommend closing your window and ignoring the person's verbal attack. If an adult is sitting with you on the passenger side, I would have them record the incident, but would not engage in a back and forth. Some would say firing verbal assaults back could be dangerous as it could anger the attacker even more, causing the situation to escalate.</p>
<p>“At the same time, I could say recording someone could have the same result. If the attacker knows you are recording him or her it could anger them the same way. This is why I highly recommend not to record if you are alone.”</p>
<p>When recording by phone is safe, he recommended the following technical tips:</p>
<ol>
<li>Make sure you use your camera app, not Snapchat. For many young people, Snapchat is their first option to open a camera, however it only records 10 seconds and you have to hold the button down. Using the camera app will allow you to record non-stop and you will not have to hold a button down.</li>
<li>Make sure the&nbsp;music in the car&nbsp;is off or volume is down. The background noise could cause disruption in the video or make it difficult to hear all voices.</li>
<li>Do not provoke the attacker. It is best to stay quiet so nothing can be misconstrued or used against you.</li>
<li>Make sure all your windows are closed except the one you are using to engage with the attacker. However, to be on safe side, you should not open it more than halfway.</li>
<li>If you are alone, then put your phone on the dashboard or seat closest to the attacker so his or her voice can be picked up at the very least. Even if you cannot see him or her in the video, if the voice can be heard, it is much better than just your word when reporting an incident with no evidence.</li>
<li>Make sure at some point during the video or after taking the video that you are able to get a picture of the attacker's license plate. If that is too difficult, at least try to read the license plate and note it down immediately.</li>
</ol>
<p>Where a video is available, Jaleel advised, “file a police report immediately and let the police copy the video.”</p>
<p>Salman said in hindsight, she would have made a point to record the incident of hate she had experienced.</p>
<p>“Had I been advised or had I read that that is something you should do, I would have done it, because in the moment, you don’t remember. You’re in fear and I had my son in the back of the car, so I was trying to control my fear.”</p>
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Recording occurrences of hate, racism, and discrimination is not common, but it can strengthen a legal case by offering solid proof of wrongdoing. </div>
Sat, 16 Jun 2018 20:58:04 +0000taha3465 at https://www.soundvision.comhttps://www.soundvision.com/article/how-to-record-hate-crimes-on-your-phone#commentsLet's make Dr. King's struggle our strugglehttps://www.soundvision.com/article/lets-make-dr-kings-struggle-our-struggle
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<a href="/article/lets-make-dr-kings-struggle-our-struggle"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.soundvision.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Racism_003b.jpg?itok=p-gEShgM" width="576" height="324" alt="&quot;Lyndon Johnson meeting with civil rights leaders&quot; by Yoichi R. Okamoto" /></a> </div>
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<a href="/authors/abdul-malik-mujahid" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Abdul Malik Mujahid</a> </div>
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<p>"There was a king who lived long ago, and today my teacher will tell us all about him," my granddaughter, a kindergartner, recently informed me.</p>
<p>The king she referred to was Dr. Martin Luther King, and though fifty&nbsp;years may seem a long time for a small child, we must remember that it was just fifty&nbsp;odd years ago that racial prejudice and hatred was codified in laws all across this country and ingrained in every institution of society. Through the struggle of Dr. King and so many others, America has made progress in reducing the injustice of racism.</p>
<p>During Dr.King's life, racism against African-Americans was America's greatest sin, and since then we have come a long way in making amends. But as Muslims, we are aware that the struggle against injustice must be taken up in every generation, and as Dr. King put it, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."</p>
<p>At the time of the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955, Americans accepted segregation, and found it acceptable that a whole class of people would be permanently regarded with hatred and live in poverty. Dr. King and the activists in the Civil Rights Movement did not remain silent about this injustice. The ugly face of racism at that time was on display in every public place in America. Through the struggles of Dr. King and his contemporaries, it is now expected by law and cultural standards that people of every color must be treated with a modicum of dignity in American society. Because of their struggles, a sister wearing hijab, or a brother wearing a beard may not be discriminated against on the basis of their faith or skin color.</p>
<p>But the challenge of racism has not been eliminated. Laws codify the values which society agrees upon, but they do not change the behavior of people. Dr. King said, "All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem." Dr. King's dream has been realized to the extent that an African-American and a woman are respected candidates for president. On the other hand, presidential candidates speak with open hatred and derision regarding Muslims, Hispanics, and advocate policies which promote economic inequity and place restrictions on basic civil rights and human rights.</p>
<p>Today, Islamophobia is the acceptable form of racism in America, to such a degree that Rudy Giuliani, a Presidential hopeful, could call one-fifth of humankind, "a people perverted" with impunity. Thirty-nine percent of respondents to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll said they favored requiring Muslims, including U.S. citizens, to carry a special ID. In addition, 500,000 have been interviewed by the FBI and tens of thousands have been deported summarily and a similarly high number left voluntarily because of hostility towards Muslims. Muslims are routinely subjected to racial profiling which has become an acceptable norm in today's America. As a result of this Islamophobic public policy and public opinion, Muslim wages in America have gone down by 10%, according to the University of Illinois and Columbia University. Seventy-six percent of all young Arab-Americans surveyed in July 2007 by Zogby International say they have been personally discriminated against. Fifty percent of Arab-Americans surveyed in a Yale University study were found to have clinical symptoms of depression. (Please see <a href="/info/islamophobia/usastatistics.asp">Islamophobia Statistics USA</a> for references.)</p>
<p>Similarly we are closing our minds and hearts towards Latinos. While all political leaders agree that 12 million undocumented workers cannot be deported, we are treating them very inhumanely, forgetting that they are the creation of God as well. As Europe removes its borders, we fortify ours.</p>
<p>America needs another movement to restore America to its moral height of civil rights and human dignity to remove secret evidence, secret prisons, torture, and other forms of injustice which lower our country in our own eyes. Just as Dr. King and oppressed Americans demanded freedom in the Civil Rights movement, American Muslims and Latinos must join African-Americans in demanding their constitutional freedoms and human rights. And just as Dr. King's struggle allowed America to rise out of racial blindness and move towards an open society, a country livable for all people, the struggle of American Muslims against Islamophobia and Latinos against xenophobia will redirect America to redirect its energies towards living in harmony with all people of the world, rather than engaging in never-ending war.</p>
<p>In the meantime, I plan to tell my granddaughter the story of Dr. King, who was indeed a king, but one different from those found in fairy tales. He lived just forty years ago. He was a king with vision, dreams and courage. He was a king because he led his people, and America, in shedding the oppressive weight of racism and looking forward to a future of harmony and peaceful coexistence. I will also share with her how he was stoned on the streets of Chicago for his struggle and why today, all of Chicago celebrates his birthday.</p>
<p>Now, I just need to figure out how to explain racism to a kindergartner!</p>
<p>"Lyndon Johnson meeting with civil rights leaders" by Yoichi R. Okamoto - Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum. Image Serial Number: W425-21. http://photolab.lbjlib.utexas.edu/detail.asp?id=9853. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lyndon_Johnson_meeting_with_civil_rights_leaders.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Lyndon_Johnson_meeting_with_civil_rights_leaders.jpg</p>
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a call to muslims to engage in the struggle that dr. martin luther king was engaged in against injustice </div>
Wed, 17 Jan 2018 12:27:17 +0000admin2251 at https://www.soundvision.comhttps://www.soundvision.com/article/lets-make-dr-kings-struggle-our-struggle#commentsLooking for Global Reconciliation? Look to Islamhttps://www.soundvision.com/article/looking-for-global-reconciliation-look-to-islam
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<a href="/article/looking-for-global-reconciliation-look-to-islam"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.soundvision.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/globalreconciliation.jpg?itok=djSmIoAk" width="576" height="324" alt="" /></a> </div>
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<a href="/authors/wahida-valiante" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Wahida Valiante</a> </div>
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<p>Noah Feldman in his book “After Jihad: America and the Struggle for Islamic Democracy,” comments on the universality of the Qur’anic approach to human existence. He writes: “Islam is a global religion. &nbsp;Its followers constitute one of the world’s largest religious communities. They are of every ethnic group and inhabit every type of geographical region. The religion’s historical success as a universal religion arises in part from the simplicity of its message and its ability to make itself relevant to different times and peoples. Islam constitutes a ‘mobile idea’ because it can be easily understood anywhere and is flexible enough to come together ‘in intriguing ways to produce unanticipated new configurations’.” (Feldman 2003, 11-12)</p>
<p>In fact, it was more than 1400 years ago that Islam introduced to the world a new concept of the unity of the human — not just that of specific nations. The Islamic idea, writes M. Ali, “ welded together nations which had warred with one another since the world began. It was not only in Arabia, among the ever bickering tribes of a single peninsula, that this great miracle … was wrought.” (Ali 1973, 7-8)</p>
<p>Speaking of Arabia, the same author adds: “It was among these people that Prophet Muhammad was born who was to unite the whole known world of the east and south.” (Ali 1973, 7-8) Islam laid the basis of a unification of humanity to which no other religion can lay claim, by eliminating differences of colour, race, language, geographical boundaries, even of culture. “All men [people] are a single nation.” (Ali, Quran 2:123)</p>
<p>Islam’s universality, or global view of humanity, is based on the concept of Tawhid – the singularity of God, “who knows the secrets of the heavens and earth and the secrets of the [collective] minds.” (Asad, Quran 35:38) The importance of Tawhid, the apex of Islam, lies in its view of creation. All creation shares a common source in God, as well as a common origin (the single self) and a common purpose – that humans serve as God’s vicegerents on earth. Thus, the foundational unity of creation comprises different parts living in harmonious order with the whole and embodying universal concepts, ethical and moral laws, ordinances and rules, all of which relate to every form of existence in this one unified and comprehensive pattern.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most important test of Tawhid is in terms of its capacity for generating a guiding model, or the system of Islam, an alternative course of action. It engages the full participation of each interconnected and interdependent human being in a community-oriented way of life that embraces diversity, pluralism, spirituality, altruism and selflessness. Because unity offers an alternative perception of personhood, it also invites alternative modes of action and behaviour, enabling human beings to live together more peacefully within their families, communities, societies and even entire nations, as opposed to striving for control over one another.</p>
<p>Thus, the precepts of Tawhid provide the guidance and resources for dealing with some of the most difficult and intractable social problems that still confront humanity today. In order to explore this area however, I must first examine the Islamic social order itself and define its foundational concepts, general rules, principles, and laws, as well as critically examine their application in everyday life. &nbsp;The fundamental question of our times is: does this system of Islam have the potential to renew itself and adequately respond to circumstances that are different in varying degrees from those in which it was born and matured? A response to this question – one that is both rhetorical and pragmatic – is offered by J.H. Denison:</p>
<p>“In the fifth and sixth centuries the civilized world stood on the verge of chaos … It seemed then that the great civilization which it had taken four thousand years to construct was on the verge of disintegration, and that [humankind] was likely to return to that condition of barbarism where every tribe and sect was against the next and law and order were unknown… The old tribal sanctions had lost their power… The new sanctions created by Christianity were working division and destruction instead of unity and order… Civilization like a gigantic tree whose foliage had over-reached the world… stood tottering… rotted to the core… Was there any emotional culture that could be brought in to gather [humankind] once more into unity and to save civilization? It was among these people that the man (Muhammad) was born who was to unite the whole known world of the east and south.” (Denison 1928, 265-268)</p>
<p>In “Whither Islam,” H.A.R. Gibb expands on that theme of uniting people from different races and ethnicities in a status of shared equality, asserting that “Islam has still the power to reconcile apparently irreconcilable elements of race and tradition.” (Gibb 1932, 379)</p>
<p>“But Islam has yet further service to render to the cause of humanity… No other society has such a record of success in uniting in an equality of status, of opportunity, and endeavour, so many and so various races … The great Muslim communities of Africa, Indonesia, and India; perhaps, also the small Muslim community of Japan, show that Islam has still the power to reconcile apparently irreconcilable elements of race and tradition. If ever the opposition of the great societies of the East and the West is to be replaced by cooperation, the mediation of Islam is an indispensable condition.” (Gibb 1932, 379)</p>
<p>With Canadians being periodically subjected to ill-informed, ignorant, Islamophobic and downright racist rants by invited bigots to Canada who presume to lecture us on the evils of Islam, we should look instead to those with the intelligence and the moral fortitude to critically understand the message of Islam, a message whose core is about peace with justice and human equality. &nbsp;This message is so clear and simple that its power escapes the twisted and perverted mind of those who simply cannot fathom the universality of the Qur’an that was so eloquently understood by Feldman, Denison and Gibbs.</p>
<p>“We have sent down to you the Book explaining all things, a guidance, a mercy and glad tidings to those who have submitted themselves to God.” (Ali, Quran 16:89) &nbsp;“For indeed, many facets have We given in this Qur’an to every kind of lesson [designed] for [the benefit of] humankind!” (Asad, Quran 17:89)</p>
<p>===============</p>
<p><em>Sr. Wahida Valiante is currently the National President and founding member of the Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC) and the Chair of Islamic History Month Canada. She is a Canadian trained social worker and therapist who specializes in couple and family therapy, family mediation, domestic violence, and post traumatic stress disorder. In 2010 and 2011, Sr. Wahida was recognized among the "500 Most Influential Muslims in the World". She is the author of A Mosiac of Thoughts.</em></p>
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we should look instead to those with the intelligence and the moral fortitude to critically understand the message of Islam, a message of peace. </div>
Thu, 17 Aug 2017 15:26:32 +0000taha3562 at https://www.soundvision.comhttps://www.soundvision.com/article/looking-for-global-reconciliation-look-to-islam#commentsFive values to remember in the fight against Islamophobiahttps://www.soundvision.com/article/five-values-to-remember-in-the-fight-against-islamophobia
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<a href="/article/five-values-to-remember-in-the-fight-against-islamophobia"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.soundvision.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1594.png?itok=BmyYJ1wY" width="576" height="324" alt="What to remember in the fight against Islamophobia" /></a> </div>
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<a href="/authors/abdul-malik-mujahid" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Abdul Malik Mujahid</a> </div>
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<p>Islamophobia is here and it is real. There is a deep-seated current of anti-Muslim prejudice in American society today. Survey after survey has quantified this. Meanwhile, many Muslims remain conflicted about challenging this intolerance. Some shrug off incidents of discrimination against them personally, thinking either they don’t matter or that nothing will change if they report them. Others dispute the use of the word “Islamophobia” in the first place, arguing there is no need for this description of the only acceptable racism left in our nation.</p>
<p>While it is important to discuss how to fight this prejudice, it is also critical to keep in mind the underlying values necessary to challenge it.</p>
<p>Here are five key values to keep in mind while fighting Islamophobia.</p>
<h3><strong>1. Don’t ignore Islamophobia, challenge it</strong></h3>
<p>God has commanded Muslims to be firm in responding to injustice (Quran 42:39). Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, never advocated an approach that sought to hide or ignore problems. He was clear and forthright in challenging all kinds of injustice, be it racism, domestic violence, or killing innocent civilians in war. He discussed these issues in Khutbas, but also directly counseled and taught the Muslim community how to eradicate these ills from within.<br />
<br />
This is the same approach we need to take when it comes to Islamophobia. We cannot and should not ignore instances of prejudice and discrimination. Ignoring Islamophobia is like tolerating it. It is real. It kills. It hurts. It cannot be wished away.<br />
<br />
We also need to stop shying away from using the word “Islamophobia”. Amongst many Muslims, it has become the “problem with no name”, and it should not be. Like a disease, it is by naming the problem that we can isolate it and start seeking solutions, similar to how the words “racism” and “anti-Semitism” are today associated with specific types of prejudice.</p>
<h3><strong>2. Dialogue with the Champions</strong></h3>
<p>Racism, prejudice, and intolerance in America are not new. Other communities, from Native Americans and African-Americans, to Jews and Catholics, have all tasted its bitterness. As Muslims, we need to start building connections with these communities if we already haven’t. We need to learn from their historical experience and struggle. Coalition building was a primary strategy of the Prophet in fighting torture, discrimination, and hostility to repel it with goodness and a common agenda.</p>
<h3><strong>3. Rebuild those neighborly relations</strong></h3>
<p>Instead of a term of distance like “Non-Muslims” use a term of relationship like “neighbors” when referring to our neighbors. The Prophet said, "Jibril kept recommending treating neighbors with kindness until I thought he would assign a share of inheritance to the neighbors." (Bukhari and Muslim). Given this level of familiarity and closeness we should have with our neighbors, it is amazing the way we keep ignoring them, especially in neighborhoods with large, vibrant mosques and Islamic centers.</p>
<p>But a Masjid in Joplin, Missouri is one of the few that seems to have taken this neighborly duty to heart. And this is in a state that has passed an anti-Sharia bill. When a deadly tornado struck in May 2011, it became a center of relief for the community. A year later, a suspicious fire burned the masjid down, and in response, the city’s non-Muslim residents banded together in support, offering space to pray, as well as helping to collect more than enough funds needed to rebuild the only mosque in Joplin.</p>
<p>This is an excellent example of building neighborly relations from the Islamic perspective, and it is one more of us, individuals, families, communities, and institutions, need to take to heart.</p>
<p>“Good and evil deeds are not alike. Requite evil with good, and he who is your enemy will become your dearest friend. But none will attain this save those who endure with fortitude and are greatly favored by God” (Quran 41: 34-35).</p>
<h3><strong>4. Be open to all people and avoid generalizing</strong></h3>
<p>Our neighbors are fair-minded people. That is the reason 59% of them said immediately after 9/11 that they had a positive opinion of Islam and Muslims. It is the multi-million dollar public relations hate machine that keeps them confused. There are still 75 million Americans who, despite all of the Islamophobia in the media, think positively about Islam and Muslims.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Also note that not all media or all non-Muslims support this type of insulting behavior. Many of our neighbors have been at the forefront of condemning torture, bombing, and occupation.</p>
<p>It’s hard not to generalize when we’ve had repeated bad experiences with individuals from a particular ethnic, racial, political, or religious background. We often feel justified in these prejudices, even as we hate the Islamophobia we are targets of. However, this runs directly contrary to Islamic principles of fairness and respect for every individual. No, we can’t generalize, ever.</p>
<p>Case in point: one of my son’s former co-workers, a Republican in his 50s, took the time out a few years ago to write a letter to the mayor of his Chicago suburb to support a Masjid that was in the process of being built, much to the chagrin of a number of loud, angry residents.&nbsp; Nowadays, as many Republicans spout Islamophobia in the run-up to this year’s presidential elections, it’s easy to forget that not all members of this political party are racist and intolerant. We need to keep this in mind as we challenge Islamophobia.</p>
<h3><strong>5. Stay positive, full of positive Dua and hope</strong></h3>
<p>Optimism is the way of the believer. It is the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet. It is understandable to feel the burden that Islamophobia places on victims, and even on those of us who are not. We may not have been discriminated against at work, but we routinely see or hear Islam and Muslims being used as cannon fodder for insulting jokes, intolerant laws, and other forms of prejudice. But this world is temporary, and things do change, often for the better more than for the worse. Compare the treatment of African-Americans and Jews 50 years ago today. The change is remarkable, even as challenges remain.</p>
<p>Also, remember this example from the life of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him: it was a man born to the abusers of the city of Taif who, within 80 years, brought Islam to South Asia, which is now home to almost one-third of all Muslims in the world. The 17-year-old Muhammad bin Qasim was the son of the Thaqafi tribe of Taif, the same city where the Prophet was tortured, but was hopeful that if not they, then their children would find their way to God. These people sent their children to throw rocks at him when he came to invite them to Islam. Battered and bleeding, he prayed for them, and didn’t curse them, hoping for the best. Little did he know what an impact this act of optimism and positivity would have for the future of Islam and Muslims.</p>
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some islamic principles and values to keep in mind when challenging islamophobia </div>
Wed, 14 Sep 2016 20:47:08 +0000admin1594 at https://www.soundvision.comhttps://www.soundvision.com/article/five-values-to-remember-in-the-fight-against-islamophobia#comments8 Ways Interfaith Partners can Fight Islamophobiahttps://www.soundvision.com/article/8-ways-interfaith-partners-can-fight-islamophobia
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<a href="/article/8-ways-interfaith-partners-can-fight-islamophobia"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.soundvision.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Islamophobia_interfaith.jpg?itok=r1dt_2WC" width="576" height="324" alt="" /></a> </div>
<div class="field-author">
<a href="/authors/abdul-malik-mujahid" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Abdul Malik Mujahid</a> </div>
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<p>If you are involved in interfaith work, raise the topic of Islamophobia at your meetings. Stress the urgency for people of all faiths to address and condemn it, along with other forms of intolerance publicly.</p>
<p><strong>1. Pass a resolution&nbsp;</strong>equating Islamophobia with racism and anti-Semitism</p>
<p><strong>2. Develop an action plan</strong>&nbsp;to mediate hate, anger, and fear with positive human relationships. The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions had a social media campaign called “Faith Against Hate.” ISNA had a campaign called “Shoulder to Shoulder.” Can your local interfaith community adopt any such programs?</p>
<p><strong>3. Call for a joint sermon against hate:&nbsp;</strong>for all places of worship against Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and racism.</p>
<p><strong>4. Form an interfaith delegation to meet guiding institutions:&nbsp;</strong>Interfaith groups must develop relationships with guiding institutions: media, elected officers, the school system, businesses. These relationships become a critical resource in times of crisis.</p>
<p><strong>5. Discuss Sharia in your interfaith dialog groups:</strong>&nbsp;This conversation will enhance your knowledge and prepare you for discussions on this topic. You will learn how Jewish Halakha Law and Catholic Canon Law are practiced in the U.S. At the same time, a Muslim speaker can share how Muslims practice Sharia here.</p>
<p><strong>6. Arrange a panel in a synagogue, church, and a mosque:</strong>&nbsp;It is not just interfaith dialog partners, but lay members of the community, who also need to know how to fight hate.</p>
<p><strong>7. Publish an article on Islamophobia:</strong>&nbsp;Request that interfaith partners publish an article about Islamophobia in their newsletters and post it on their church or synagogue’s websites and Facebook pages.</p>
<p><strong>8. When it comes to violence in Scripture, compare apples to apples.</strong>&nbsp;Verses from the Quran that speak specifically about Muslims defending themselves and their peace sanctuary in Madinah over 1,400 years ago when under attack by the pagan Quraysh tribe should be compared to similar verses in the Bible.<br />
Sound Vision can provide the following brochures for distribution among neighbors:</p>
<ul>
<li>How Muslim Americans Live Sharia?</li>
<li>Comparing Jewish Halakha, Catholic Canon Law &amp; Sharia in the USA&nbsp;</li>
<li>Why did the US Supreme Court honor the Prophet in 1935 as one of the great lawgivers of the world?</li>
</ul>
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If you are involved in interfaith work, raise the topic of Islamophobia at your meetings. Stress the urgency for people of all faiths to address it. </div>
Fri, 09 Sep 2016 05:25:49 +0000taha2841 at https://www.soundvision.comhttps://www.soundvision.com/article/8-ways-interfaith-partners-can-fight-islamophobia#commentsImams and khateebs: Dealing with Islamophobiahttps://www.soundvision.com/article/imams-and-khateebs-dealing-with-islamophobia
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<a href="/article/imams-and-khateebs-dealing-with-islamophobia"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.soundvision.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Islamophobia_014b.jpg?itok=XNu2KzbD" width="576" height="324" alt="Photo by: Muhammad Mahdi Karim" /></a> </div>
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<a href="/authors/abdul-malik-mujahid" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Abdul Malik Mujahid</a> </div>
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<p>Dear Imams and Khateebs</p>
<p>Assalamu Alaikum</p>
<p>A large number of Imams have informed me that they use articles from Sound Vision's website for their sermons. May Allah accept it. In consideration of this, I am taking the liberty to suggest some points for your forthcoming Khutba.</p>
<p>You are the people who have the honor and privilege of communicating with our Ummah&nbsp;on a regular basis. You know Muslims and know how much they are hurting today about the depiction of Rehmatul lil alameen as a terrorist.</p>
<p>We are raised to love the Prophet more than our mother and father. Allahumma Salle ala Muhammad.</p>
<p>It is therefore a natural reaction. Amazingly it was all peaceful since September until a week ago. Muslims refused to play along as they resorted to a boycott of Danish products instead. All that changed this week unfortunately, once again reaffirming the violent image of Islam in the eyes of people. Surprisingly though, a large number of people in an unscientific poll are saying that Muslims are right in their protest.<br />
<a href="www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11126728">www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11126728</a></p>
<p>In addition, some Iranian newspapers have commissioned the drawing of anti-Semitic cartoons in protest. This is a disgusting form of retaliation that deserves absolute condemnation. It will neither help fight Islamophobia, nor elicit any understanding about why Muslims are upset about the Danish cartoons. The conflict has hit a new low with this move.</p>
<p>Please comfort the hearts of the believers as you give your Khutba this Friday. Continue to send your love and praises on Rehmatul lil Alameen throughout the Khutba. Recount the simplicity of his life and his mercifulness to all the Mushrik Makkans. Tell Muslims about the incident at Taif and how the Prophet showed mercy to the people who sent their children after him and threw stones on him until he was bleeding. Discuss the story of the woman who would repeatedly throw garbage at him, but who he visited out of concern on the day she did not do this.</p>
<h2>It is important to sympathize with Muslims by saying that</h2>
<ol>
<li>This incident was not an accident. This neo-con newspaper commissioned these cartoons</li>
<li>The Danish prime minister refused to meet 11 Muslim ambassadors</li>
<li>It is not an issue of freedom of speech. The same newspapers would have never commissioned cartoons against other religious, racial or ethnic groups</li>
</ol>
<h2>Connect Cartoons with Islamophobia</h2>
<ol>
<li>Abuses of the Quran, torture of prisoners, bombing of civilians, all are signs of Islamophobia</li>
<li>Islamophobia is as wrong as anti-Semitism</li>
<li>It is our duty to communicate and build bridges of understanding</li>
</ol>
<h2>Condemn wrong behavior of some Muslims</h2>
<ol>
<li>Muslim demonstrations were peaceful for four months until a few spoiled it for all of us this week by burning the embassy and Danish flags.</li>
<li>It is wrong to use this incident to insult another religious group, as some Iranian newspapers have done by commissioning anti-Jewish cartoons</li>
<li>Use Quran 6:108 to describe why not abusing others' symbol of love, respect and pride is important in Islam</li>
<li>Use Quran 41: 34-35 to discuss the winning strategic guidance by Allah</li>
</ol>
<p>There are many phone calls and emails I am receiving by Muslims who are asking why we are silent. We are not silent. The Muslim American leadership has condemned it. However, if you decide to support or organize public protest ask yourself the following questions:</p>
<ol>
<li>What will be the goals of such a demonstration? The newspaper and the Prime Minister of Denmark both have already apologized this week.</li>
<li>If you do decide to organize a rally, it should be an honorable demonstration in which we sing the praises of the Prophet. We and our children sit down silently. No speeches, no slogans, no placards, just silent readings of the Quran.</li>
<li>Or may be you want to invite people of all faiths to come and join us reading their favorite books.</li>
</ol>
<p>As leaders of the community, we must give voice to the frustrations of our community in a way that reflects Islamic principles. That means calmly discussing the issue and suggesting practically how to reduce the tension. We must do this with wisdom and love for the Ummah, as well as love for the Prophet.</p>
<p>Thank you for your time and attention. Please end your Khutba this Friday with a Dua for the Ummah and for the opening of others' hearts towards Islam and Muslims, as well as for a better understanding between peoples of all backgrounds.</p>
<p>Wassalam,</p>
<p>Your brother in faith</p>
<p>Abdul Malik Mujahid<br />
&nbsp;</p>
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imams and khateebs, dealing with islamophobia </div>
Fri, 11 Mar 2016 12:27:17 +0000admin2255 at https://www.soundvision.comhttps://www.soundvision.com/article/imams-and-khateebs-dealing-with-islamophobia#comments9 ways you can fight Islamophobia this summerhttps://www.soundvision.com/article/9-ways-you-can-fight-islamophobia-this-summer
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<a href="/article/9-ways-you-can-fight-islamophobia-this-summer"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.soundvision.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1596.png?itok=ZKZiG-9B" width="576" height="324" alt="9 ways you can fight Islamophobia this summer" /></a> </div>
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<a href="/authors/abdul-malik-mujahid" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Abdul Malik Mujahid</a> </div>
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<h3><strong>1. Name the hate: “Islamophobia”</strong></h3>
<p>A problem, until named or described, is often ignored. Consider that until we had the terms “racism” and “anti-Semitism”, these two types of prejudice were difficult to combat. Today, calling someone a “racist” or an “anti-Semite” is equivalent to an insult. Even those who fit this category would hate to be called these names. It is time we understand this and start calling out anti-Islamic and anti-Muslim prejudice for what it is: Islamophobia.</p>
<p>Also, on a community level, make sure that Masjid Khutbas, newsletters, and articles in the mainstream use this term for this phenomenon. It is important that our children also know what Islamophobia is and how it affects us and hurts America.</p>
<h3><strong>2. Report it and publicize it</strong></h3>
<p>Most people know that it was Rosa Parks’ act of civil disobedience, not sitting in the back of the bus, which launched the civil rights movement in the 1950s. What fewer people know, though, is that she was inspired by a brave woman who publicized the vicious murder of her teenage son, Emmett Till, by racists in Mississippi. Mamie Till chose to show the world the horrific torture her son had endured in an open casket funeral, where thousands witnessed the price of racism.<br />
<br />
Today, Muslims need to do the same. We should not shy away from being public about the discrimination directed at us. A number of non-Muslim interfaith activists have told me they don’t understand why more Muslims don’t want to talk about this. Some even told me the names of major Muslim leaders who are their friends but have never spoken to them about it.</p>
<p>The FBI collects hate crime statistics. Report Islamophobia to them at your&nbsp;<a href="http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm">local FBI office</a>. File a report with the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cair-net.org/ireport/">Council on American-Islamic Relations</a>. They issue an annual report on Muslim civil rights in the US. Also report the crime to your local police office.<br />
<br />
Until we report and publicize Islamophobic attacks us, we cannot expect the country to stand up against it.</p>
<h3><strong>3. Keep listening to your kids</strong></h3>
<p>Make sure you have good communication with your children so they tell you what happens to them. Islamophobia is affecting young Muslims, in the form of bullying, and in some cases, even teachers participating in it. Children need to be able to discuss this with their parents and other family and community elders. They also need help standing up to it. They cannot face it alone, especially if someone in authority is involved.</p>
<h3><strong>4. Persuade the champions of fighting hate</strong></h3>
<p>Join hands with groups like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), who have a long history of fighting hate. Let them know when Islamophobic incidents do happen. The ACLU, for example, maintains a database of all attacked against Masjids. While writing this article, I noted that they did not report what happened to Illinois mosques this past Ramadan, so I sent them an email. Conversations, dialogue, and the support of these champions and their local chapters will go long way to persuade them to start using the term Islamophobia in their discourse and associate it with other forms of hate in our society.&nbsp; It would be great if each one of these organizations organized a conference against Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.</p>
<h3><strong>5. Know the impact of Islamophobia</strong></h3>
<p>Not everyone is aware of how pervasive it is, and how destructive it is. You don’t have to be personally subjected to it to experience it. Sound Vision seems to be the leading organization providing a comprehensive view of Islamophobia in America. Educate yourself and others.</p>
<h3><strong>6. Bring up the issue in interfaith circles</strong></h3>
<p>Some of Muslims’ staunchest allies, especially after 9/11, have been interfaith groups and coalitions. They have and continue to stand up for us, offering us a place to pray when our mosques are burned down, as happened recently in Joplin, Missouri this past summer, as well as speaking out against anti-Sharia bills that have been passed in a number of states. We need to strengthen this relationship and make more of our interfaith partners aware of Islamophobia. Interfaith dialogues and relationships are good in themselves, but if you can make them purposeful and goal-oriented, it is better for our society. If possible, get the organizations to issue a public statement condemning Islamophobia in general, as well as in response to specific incidents like those mentioned above.</p>
<h3><strong>7. Equate Islamophobia with anti-Semitism and racism</strong></h3>
<p>Islamophobia is no less than the intolerance of the past in a new form. It is a new manifestation of this ugly cancer, and it needs to be discussed in this manner. This makes it clear that just as we no longer tolerate anti-Semitism and racism, we cannot tolerate Islamophobia.</p>
<h3><strong>8. Social services should be available to all people</strong></h3>
<p>Islamophobia creates its own stress on the community, men and women, young and old. We must be ready to deal with this trauma in the right way by supporting Muslim social service providers, who are trained to deal with this.</p>
<h3><strong>9. Reset your community’s agenda</strong></h3>
<p>More Masjids and schools have been built after the 9/11 attacks than before, but Islamophobia has strengthened because our resources are not being allocated to strengthen our alliances with those who stand with us, like interfaith groups, anti-torture organizations, and anti-war peace groups. We need to urgently reset the agenda and redirect our resources to building alliances and fighting Islamophobia.</p>
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9 ways you can fight Islamophobia this summer </div>
Wed, 10 Feb 2016 20:42:32 +0000admin1596 at https://www.soundvision.comhttps://www.soundvision.com/article/9-ways-you-can-fight-islamophobia-this-summer#comments8 Ways to Combat Racism in Muslim Communitieshttps://www.soundvision.com/article/8-ways-to-combat-racism-in-muslim-communities
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<a href="/article/8-ways-to-combat-racism-in-muslim-communities"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.soundvision.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/racism_muslimcomm.jpg?itok=MRWhOH8E" width="576" height="324" alt="" /></a> </div>
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<a href="/authors/ammarah-usmani" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Ammarah Usmani</a> </div>
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<p dir="ltr">When certain groups label all Muslims as terrorists or extremists, they look at us all as one entity. Whether we’re black, white, tall, short, they look at us as a whole. The unfortunate fact is that they do a better job at unifying us than we ever do!</p>
<p dir="ltr">When we stand together as Muslims, there are still many instances where a Pakistani and Jordanian family might be living in the same community, but they still don’t know each other’s names. And it’s not because they never happened to meet one another. They see each other everyday at the Masjid, their kids are in the same class, but they choose not to care.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And if you’re from another country, you might notice that there is racism and prejudice even from city to city. Or maybe even among different towns in a city! Antagonism has no bounds if we allow it to spread. Racism isn’t just an issue for the west, like the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.. Racism exists everywhere. If you don’t see it in your country, chances are that you might be among those perpetuating it.</p>
<p dir="ltr">If we ever want to gain back our respect in the world, we have to respect each other first.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Here are some tips to combat this ugly disease called racism:</p>
<h3 dir="ltr"><strong>1. Be confident in who you ar</strong><strong>e</strong></h3>
<p dir="ltr">This might seem counterproductive, since the crux of racism is too much pride in oneself. However, pride and confidence are completely different things. Pride is the belief that your country/ethnicity/language makes you more entitled to goodness than others. If you’re confident in your roots, in your struggles, and who you are today, then insecurity will never become a problem. Most times when someone is degrading another, it’s because of deeply rooted insecurities of their past. Be confident in your background, be content with how Allah created you, and how He situated you in the world.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr"><strong>2. Acknowledge each other and say Salam</strong></h3>
<p dir="ltr">This cannot be stressed enough. Muslims are given this immensely unique gift of a greeting, which no other nation has. And this simple greeting can bring together hearts like no other phrase can. If you’re in the grocery store and you know that the other person is a Muslim, if the sister is wearing hijab, or any other attire/action that makes them look Muslim, then don’t hesitate. You don’t have to spark up a conversation. Just smile and say Salam.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr"><strong>3. Don’t generalize</strong></h3>
<p dir="ltr">If a native of a certain country or race was ever rude to you, don’t assume that all people from that country behave the same way. It’s an elementary statement, but if you analyze yourself on a daily basis, you might find yourself guilty of this. We’re enraged when the media lumps us all into one category, that the mentally unstable individuals who claim to be Muslims and commit heinous crimes somehow reflect all of the world’s Muslims. So why do we do that to our own brothers and sisters?</p>
<h3 dir="ltr"><strong>4. Say no to racial slurs</strong></h3>
<p dir="ltr">In our separate cultures, we’ve come up with names to describe people of other races and countries – and most of them are quite offensive. Train yourself to rid your vocabulary of these terms, because not only is it demeaning to your brothers and sisters, you’re degrading the beauty of another person, of whom Allah is the artist. If, in order to make someone laugh, you need to resort to racial slurs, that speaks volumes about your character.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr"><strong>5. Step out of your comfort zone</strong></h3>
<p dir="ltr">It’s understandable that if you’re newly married and just moved from another country, you’d want to find some familiarity. That’s completely fine. It’s nice to be able to relate to someone who is from the same country/city. But don’t constrict yourself. You’ll be amazed at how much you learn just by sitting next to a new sister/brother in the Masjid, during a potluck dinner, or maybe even a brief introduction at a store. Allah made us all different so that we can recognize each other, learn from one another, better ourselves, help others, etc. (Quran 49:13). If you’ve been going to the same Masjid for a decade, but you still don’t know the names of the majority of people, then there’s a problem. If others don’t approach you, get up and be the one to initiate a nice gesture. You’ll see what a difference that small action makes.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr"><strong>6. Arrange multicultural events</strong></h3>
<p dir="ltr">Persuade your local Masjid or community center to arrange an annual culture day, where people showcase their different cultures, cuisine, clothing, etc. You might be surprised to see how many different countries and cultures your brothers and sisters represent. Once you see all aspects of each culture, you’ll be more likely to see your community members in a positive light.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr"><strong>7. Stand with each other in times of grief and sickness</strong></h3>
<p dir="ltr">It’s nice to partake in someone’s joyous occasion, but it’s crucial to offer support when any of our brothers and sisters is in need. Whether it’s financial, physical, or even just emotional, your contribution will most likely never be forgotten. It’s our</p>
<p dir="ltr">obligation from Allah to seek out those who need any kind of assistance. Whether it’s a death in the family, or an illness, you should be the first one at their door. Respect their wishes, though, and don’t burden them. Some welcome the extra attention and care, and some don’t want a big fuss, so understand the needs of each person and treat them accordingly. The way to make room in someone’s heart for you, is to show that they can rely on you during their dark times.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr"><strong>8. Humble yourself – in every way</strong></h3>
<p dir="ltr">A Muslim who recognizes that he or she is but a slave to Allah, nothing more, nothing less, knows that pride and arrogance have no place in his or her life. In every moment, whether we’re living in meager conditions or luxurious lives, as an Indian or a Malaysian, in the U.S. or Canada, our beginning was the same, and our end will be the same. The moment you feel yourself acting a bit pretentious, seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan, and make Dua for humility. According to the Quran, a person with arrogance the size of a mustard seed will not be allowed to even enjoy the fragrance of Jannah.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Insha Allah these small reminders can help us integrate further into diverse Muslim communities with open hearts and minds, to build tolerance, acceptance, and eventually appreciation for all the goodness that our differences have to offer.</p>
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If we ever want to gain back our respect in the world, we have to respect each other first. Here are some tips to combat this ugly disease, racism. </div>
Sat, 11 Apr 2015 05:14:46 +0000taha2839 at https://www.soundvision.comhttps://www.soundvision.com/article/8-ways-to-combat-racism-in-muslim-communities#commentsThe only acceptable racism left: Islamophobiahttps://www.soundvision.com/article/the-only-acceptable-racism-left-islamophobia
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<a href="/article/the-only-acceptable-racism-left-islamophobia"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.soundvision.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Islamophobia_007b.jpg?itok=H8yy02dU" width="576" height="324" alt="Herman Cain: Known for his Islamophobic comments" /></a> </div>
<div class="field-author">
<a href="/authors/abdul-malik-mujahid" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Abdul Malik Mujahid</a> </div>
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<p>"So what do you do for a living?" the activist asked me. He was an American Christian, an ordained minister and leader of an interfaith peace organization. I was attending a conference organized by his group."<br />
<br />
"I produce Islamic videos and programs, particularly for children," I replied.</p>
<p>"Oh. Doesn't Hamas produce programs for children, too?" he asked.</p>
<p>I was stunned. This exchange occurred shortly before the Hamas victory in the recent Palestinian elections. What floored me though was that this man associated what I do for a living with a group considered terrorist by the American government. It is clear that the ugly tentacles of Islamophobia have penetrated places where Muslims have normally felt safe from it. An interfaith gathering is the last venue I'd expect these comments.</p>
<p>I was representing the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago as it's chair, and he knew that pretty well. It's a federation of more than 55 mosques and Islamic organizations serving 400,000 Muslims from the region.</p>
<h2><strong>The Danish cartoon affair - Europe's latent Islamophobia comes to life</strong></h2>
<p>The latest example of Islamophobia comes from Denmark and Europe, not the United States. By now, we've all seen and read about the protests against 12 deeply offensive cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.</p>
<p>What is critical to know is that it was not some random cartoonist drawing one cartoon and an editor who decided to publish it. Rather, a neo-con newspaper chose to commission artists to draw these images that depict the Prophet as a terrorist. These cartoons were not an ignorant mistake. The intent was to insult and inflame. The concept of respect and honor among Muslims is well-known. So is the potential risk of incitement, especially after knowing what happened when the Muslim world came to know about some American soldiers disrespecting the Quran last year.</p>
<p>The Danish embassy in Lebanon has been torched, the country's flags burned, death threats have been issued and some protesters have been killed as a result of police firings.</p>
<p>But well before these dramatic images that must have made editors salivate for their sensational qualities made the news, Muslims in the Muslim world and abroad launched peaceful, lawful protests for four months against the cartoons that would have made Martin Luther King Jr. proud.</p>
<p>Danish Muslims wrote letters of protest. They were ignored. Eleven Muslim ambassadors in Denmark asked to meet with Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen. He refused to do so. A grassroots boycott of Danish products was launched in the Middle East. That got some attention, but not much until Danish businesses realized how much of their $1 billion business in the region was at stake.</p>
<p>The cartoons were printed in September 2005. In September, October, November, December and almost all of January, the Muslim opposition to the cartoons was characterized by peaceful demonstrations of love for the Prophet and restrained protests of how he was being denigrated.</p>
<h2><strong>Arrogant Response to Peaceful Protests</strong></h2>
<p>When newspapers in Norway, Germany and France, in their Islamophobic frenzy, decided to republish the cartoons in the name of "freedom of expression," the scale of anger and protest widened. What started off as peaceful opposition spiraled out of control.</p>
<p>Now, the situation was out of the hands of Muslims who had made serious attempts to resolve the issue peacefully. They had tried their utmost, but to no avail. From this point onwards, all kinds of people, including those with little knowledge of Islamic rules that forbid harm to foreign emissaries in Muslim lands, had upped the ante. The torching of embassies is wrong. So is stepping on and burning the symbols of Danish pride, their flag. It is Haram and a sin in Islam.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, some Iranian newspapers have commissioned the drawing of anti-Semitic cartoons in protest. This is a disgusting form of retaliation that deserves absolute condemnation. It will neither help fight Islamophobia, nor elicit any understanding about why Muslims are upset about the Danish cartoons. The conflic has hit a new low with this move.</p>
<p>But the world media, always in search of dramatic images of death and destruction, lapped up the anger and violence with glee. There was little coverage of the peaceful response of the Muslim community to these cartoons in the initial days after their publication. There were no calls for death, there was no fire involved or images of screaming bearded and Hijabed Muslims. Just peaceful bearded and Hijabed Muslims. Yawn. The media was bored.</p>
<h2><strong>When it comes to Muslims, everything goes</strong></h2>
<p>Would the media outlet which commissioned and printed these cartoons, as well as those which reprinted them, call for artists to develop grotesque anti-Semitic caricatures to prove that they have the freedom to do so? Of course not. The French even have laws to punish anti-Semitic "speech" and "writings."</p>
<p>The current cartoon affair is not about freedom of expression, it's about Islamophobia.</p>
<h2><strong>Islamophobia is real</strong></h2>
<p>Islamophobia, or the fear and hatred of all things relating to Islam and Muslims, has become an acceptable form of racism. A sympathetic Jewish lawyer who was representing a Palestinian client in Chicago pre-9/11 said something telling to me in this regard: "Muslims are the new N?ers of America. If you will not fight for yourself, no one will."</p>
<p>He's right. But Muslim complaints about Islamophobia continue to be dismissed.</p>
<p>More than one fourth of all American Muslims surveyed by more than one public opinion organization stated that they have personally experienced Islamophobia or know someone who has. Over 200,000 American Muslims have been subjected to some kind of law enforcement activity since 9/11. At least 15,000 Muslims have been detained or arrested since that tragedy. Over 16,000 were either deported or are in the process of <a href="/info/muslims/internment.asp">deportation</a>. The Council on American-Islamic Relations annually issues reports about the state of Muslim civil rights in the United States. Harrowing tales of anti-Muslim discrimination on the job, at schools, stores, restaurants and on the streets fill these publications. The case of Capt. James Yee is a disturbing example of how American Muslims even in positions of authority and respect must endure Islamophobia publicly at the hands of our own government.</p>
<p>It is due to Islamophobia fanned by government policies and a media frenzy that a majority of Americans continue to hold negative opinions of Islam and Muslims. And a few thousand bin Laden terrorists contribute to authenticate this negative image. Forty-four percent of Americans queried in a Cornell national poll favor curtailing some liberties for Muslim Americans.</p>
<p>Over half of schoolchildren in the Australian city of Victoria view Muslims as terrorists, and two out of five agree that Muslims "are unclean", a <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/schoolchildren-cast-judgements-on-muslims/2006/02/05/1139074109950.html">survey</a> has revealed.</p>
<h2><strong>Islamophobia is older than 9/11 and is based on ongoing ignorance</strong></h2>
<p>The fear and hatred of all things Islamic can be traced much farther back than 9/11. Edward Said's landmark book "<a href="/shop/pview.asp?item=4302-007">Orientalism</a>" outlined how European colonial masters viewed their Muslim subjects with disdain and disgust. This attitude continues to characterize the discipline today. That view of Muslims as bloodthirsty, misogynist and violent savages persists. It is furthered by Bernard Lewis, America's top Orientalist, and his neoconservative students, a number of whom are the architects of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.</p>
<p>In the 1980s, funding was cut throughout the United States for programs that attempted to understand other peoples and nations. With the fall of the former Soviet Union in 1991 and the establishment of America as the world's sole superpower, a fair amount of arrogance towards the rest of the world pervaded America's dealings with other countries and continues to do so.</p>
<p>The barring of Yusuf Islam in 2004 and Tariq Ramadan in 2005 from the United States are examples of how we are not only closing our borders to Islam but opening them to Islamophobia. Even worse, we are closing our minds. As Diana Eck, President of the American Academy of Religion wrote in the <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/02/02/shutting_out_a_voice_for_islam">Boston Globe</a> on February 2, 2006 about the Ramadan case, "Denying us face-to-face access to scholars and theologians who contribute to critical reflection on the religious currents of our world is an intolerable impoverishment of the academic enterprise." The Academy is currently suing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff for barring Ramadan entry into the US.</p>
<h2><strong>Islamophobia harms all of us</strong></h2>
<p>In my four interfaith interactions in the last two months, I have met a whole lot of very nice people. But I was surprised to find at almost each event I attended, one or two Islamophobic people who seemed to have a high dose of Fox News in their system. I listened to them and prayed for them instead of responding to them.</p>
<p>Like racism and anti-Semitism, Islamophobia hurts all of us. In America, it is eroding our civil liberties. In Europe, it is further isolating minority communities and inflaming latent xenophobia. It is perpetuating the neocon wish for a "clash of civilizations" at a time when no country in the world, Muslim or not, can afford it politically, economically or otherwise. Just ask the Danish dairy industry how Islamophobia has hurt its business.</p>
<p>Islamophobia is responsible for <a href="/info/peace/haya.asp">torture</a>. Islamophobia is responsible for the grave misunderstandings that only serve to perpetuate hatred and <a href="/info/peace/demonization.asp">demonization</a>.</p>
<p>Perhaps we need to learn from Canada, where hate speech is banned despite the guarantee of free speech in the country's constitution.</p>
<p>Islamophobia is today's accepted form of racism. It will require Muslims to fight hard against it. Muslims are neither solely responsible for its creation, nor will they be able to fight it on their own. It is a collective responsibility for all bridge-builders of the world.</p>
<p>Let us today take a stand to end all kinds of fear and hatred of "the other."</p>
<p>Photo Attribution: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Herman_Cain_at_Hannity_-_Boortz_event-1.jpg">http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Herman_Cain_at_Hannity_-_Boortz_event-1.jpg</a></p>
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a discussion of how islamophobia is the only acceptable form of intolerance and racism left in countries where muslims are minorities. </div>
Tue, 10 Mar 2015 12:27:17 +0000admin2256 at https://www.soundvision.comhttps://www.soundvision.com/article/the-only-acceptable-racism-left-islamophobia#commentsA brief history of racism in the United Stateshttps://www.soundvision.com/article/a-brief-history-of-racism-in-the-united-states
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<a href="/article/a-brief-history-of-racism-in-the-united-states"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.soundvision.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Racism_001b.jpg?itok=QGem50rq" width="576" height="324" alt="Ku Klux Klansmen and women at a cross lighting in on November 12th, 2005" /></a> </div>
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<a href="/authors/samana-siddiqui" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Samana Siddiqui</a> </div>
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<p>Racism is the belief that one’s race, skin color, or more generally, one’s group, be it of religious, national or ethnic identity, is superior to others in humanity. It has been part of the American landscape primarily since the European colonization of North America beginning in the 17th century. Various groups have bore the brunt of it, manifested in discriminatory laws, social practices, and&nbsp; criminal behavior directed toward a target group. The following are a list of just a few and their experiences.</p>
<p><strong>Racism against Native Americans: </strong>with the Europeans’ arrival on North America’s shores and their systematic plan to subdue and conquer its land, came racism and bigotry against Native Americans. Europeans believed the original inhabitants of America were heathens and savages who needed to be civilized through Christianity and European culture. This led to genocide, mass murder, stolen land, attempts to wipe out Native American traditions, as well as forced assimilation through institutions like residential schools and the establishment of “Indian reservations”. As well, media portrayal of this continent’s first inhabitants as bloodthirsty savages helped justify European abuses against Native Americans. The long-term effects, among others, of this treatment include the fact that today, Native Americans have the <u><a href="http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/suicide-in-the-us-statistics-and-prevention/index.shtml">highest suicide rate</a></u> of any group in the United States, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.</p>
<p><strong>Racism against African-Americans</strong>: many of the Africans brought to America starting in the 17th century arrived as slaves, kidnapped from their homelands in various parts of Africa. A number of them were known to be royalty and literate. African men, women, and children were stripped of their names and identities, forced to “Christianize”, whipped, beaten, tortured, and in many cases, lynched or hanged at the whims of their white masters, for whom slavery was key to maintaining their vast properties and land. Families were separated through the process of buying and selling slaves. While not all Africans in America were slaves, a large number were, particularly in the southern states. For those Africans in America who were free, discriminatory laws that barred them from owning property and voting, for example, as well as the belief in the intrinsic inferiority of dark-skinned peoples by the dominant white majority, held them back from full equality in the United States.</p>
<p>Although slavery was ultimately outlawed and laws prohibiting discrimination against African-Americans passed, racism against this community remains and is manifested in more subtle ways today. For example, the Washington, DC, Fair Employment Practices Commission <u><a href="http://www2.asanet.org/media/jobdiscrimin.html">has found</a></u> that blacks face discrimination in one out of every five job interviews. The American Sociological Association notes that, “today employers use different phases of the hiring process to discriminate against minorities (e.g., recruiting from primarily white schools instead of through job training programs) and offer higher status jobs and pay to white employees. Reports of job discrimination against African Americans are correlated with darker complexion, higher education, immigrant status, and young age.”.</p>
<p><strong>Japanese-Americans: </strong>with Japan’s December 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, racism against Japanese-Americans intensified. Like Muslims after the 9/11 attacks, Japanese-Americans were targets of harassment, discrimination, and government surveillance. Members of the community lost homes, jobs, and businesses. But the worst blow was the February 1942 Executive Order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt that authorized the internment of Japanese-Americans. They were now deemed enemies of the state. Over half of the 120,000 Japanese-Americans sent to the camps were born and raised in the U.S. and had never set foot in Japan. Half of those sent to the camps were children.</p>
<p>The Executive Order allowed for the forced exclusion of Japanese-Americans from certain areas to provide security against sabotage and espionage and property. Some of those imprisoned died in the camps due to a lack of proper medical care. Others were killed for not obeying orders.</p>
<p>According to a 1943 report published by the War Relocation Authority, which ran the camps, Japanese-Americans were housed in "tarpaper-covered barracks of simple frame construction without plumbing or cooking facilities of any kind." These overcrowded accommodations were bleak and surrounded by barbed wire. President Roosevelt himself called them "concentration camps."</p>
<p><strong>Jewish -Americans: </strong>Although Jews first arrived in America over 300 years ago and enjoyed a certain level of religious freedom, anti-Semitism was acceptable and common socially, as well as legally in some cases. For example, some states in the late 18th century barred those who were not Christian from voting or holding public office. However, these barriers were later removed, especially with the enactment of the Bill of Rights.</p>
<p>As well, during the Holocaust in Europe during the 1940s, a ship of over 900 primarily German Jewish refugees was denied permission to land on U.S. soil, based on the exclusionary Immigration Act of 1924. Only one-third of the passengers, who were forced to return to Europe, survived the genocide of Jews on the continent at the time.</p>
<p>The Ku Klux Kan, one of the most virulent&nbsp; and violent hate groups in America, did not just direct their rage at African-Americans. Jews were also a target.</p>
<p>As well, discrimination against Jews was practiced in some cases in the workforce, and they were not permitted entry into a number of resort areas and social clubs. Colleges also practiced discrimination by limiting their enrolment. In a number of cases, Jews were forbidden from buying certain types of property.</p>
<p><strong>Islamophobia </strong>is the term that has been coined to describe the current hostility toward Islam and Muslims in the United States, manifested in prejudice, harassment and discrimination. The Pew Forum on Religion and Public life <u><a href="http://pewforum.org/muslim/public-remains-conflicted-over-islam.aspx">found</a></u> last year that positive opinions of Islam among Americans have declined since 2005. Islamophobia intensified after the 9/11 terror attacks, as well as the subsequent wars on Iraq and Afghanistan. Muslims in the United States over the last decade have been subject to 700,000 interviews by the FBI, wiretapping, phone surveillance, and racial profiling. Added to this is the rhetoric of hate and misinformation fueled by so-called terrorism experts, right-wing authors, television and radio talk show hosts and personalities, as well as countless blogs and websites that demonize Islam and Muslims and automatically link them to terrorism.</p>
<p>Islamophobia today&nbsp;<a href="http://www.soundvision.com/info/islamophobia/usastatistics.asp">is the only acceptable racism left</a>. It remains to be seen how long its cycle will run before there is zero cultural and legal tolerance for it, as is the case with racism against other minority groups in the United States today.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Photo Attribution: "Cross Lighting 2005" by Confederate till Death - English Wikipedia. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cross_Lighting_2005.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Cross_Lighting_2005.jpg</p>
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a brief history of racism in the united states </div>
Sat, 12 Feb 2011 00:30:35 +0000admin2248 at https://www.soundvision.comhttps://www.soundvision.com/article/a-brief-history-of-racism-in-the-united-states#comments